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My aim with Make America Read is to encourage people to read more and more widely, and that's a reading resolution I take on myself every year. I read a great deal — but spend more time than I'd like thumbing through my phone. (Seriously. I downloaded a screen-time tracking app this month and whoa! My estimate of time on my phone was off by nearly two hours.) And because reading is comfort for me, I default to familiar, easy reading. (Ask me how many times I've reread L.M. Montgomery's novels.) Reading expands your perspective, builds compassion and critical thinking, and encourages civil discourse around hard questions — if you let it, if you read beyond your default.

But I don't do well with vague resolutions. I need specifics. If you do, too, here's some help for getting more out of your reading life in 2018.

First, set a reading goal. Consider how much you read this year and pick a number that's reachable. It's not a competition. It's accountability. If you don't know how much you read, a couple stats that might help: The average American reads 12 books a year. The median is four. My 2018 goal is 100 books, which is my annual average.

Now, set up plans to reach that goal. I've shared before how I read about 100 books a year. (Key #1: Always carry a book with you. Key #2: Start and end your day with a book, not your phone. Also: Keep a list.) These tips shared recently on Book Riot echo my advice and offer a few other good suggestions. My 2018 plan includes daily screen-free time, set up with the help of that app, Moment, and daily screen limits. Maybe yours includes a weekly library trip, or finally using GoodReads consistently. Aim for three things to make it easier to have books at the ready and time in your day to enjoy them.

Reading more is a good start to reading more widely. Once you're working with more quantity, you've more room to mix up content. Which brings me to my favorite tip from that Book Riot article — genre hop! — and the next step to achieving our goal of reading more widely: Set reading challenges.